Last month was the warmest June ever, NOAA reports

By the CNN Wire Staff

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The world was more than 1 degree warmer in June than the 20th century average
The central and eastern United States were among warmer places
NOAA records date back to 1880

(CNN) -- Some like it hot.

If you are part of that group, you'll welcome the news Thursday from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: The world just recorded its warmest June.

Last month's combined global land and ocean surface temperatures made it the warmest June on record at 61.1 degrees Fahrenheit (16.2 degrees Celsius). That's 1.22 Fahrenheit degrees (0.68 Celsius degrees) higher than the 20th century average of 59.9 (15.5 degrees Celsius).

The above-average warmth was most prominent in Peru, the central and eastern United States and eastern and western Asia, according to NOAA.

In the oceans, the warmth was most pronounced in the Atlantic. Overall, the average ocean surface temperature was 0.97 Fahrenheit degrees (0.54 Celsius degrees) above the 20th century average of 61.5 degrees Fahrenheit (16.4 degrees Celsius).

So where was it cooler than average? Scandinavia, southern China and the northwestern United States, NOAA said.

The agency's analysis is based on records that date back to 1880.